Matthew 25

25:1Then1 shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins2, who took their lamps3, and went forth to meet the bridegroom4.Matthew 25:1-13 CONCLUSION OF OUR LORD'S DISCOURSE. PARABLES OF VIRGINS AND TALENTS. THE FINAL JUDGMENT. (Mount of Olives. Tuesday, April 4, A.D. 30.) Matthew 25:1-46

Then. That is, at the time of the Lord's coming. Jesus is still emphasizing the lesson of watchfulness, and proceeds to enforce it bytwo parables.

Ten virgins. Probably the usual number on such occasions.

Who took their lamps. Small earthenware vessels, with flax wicks, and without glass chimneys.

And went forth to meet the bridegroom. The Oriental wedding began with a feast in the house of the bride's father. After this thebridegroom led the bride to his own home, and it was the duty of hisservants and household, of whom the ten virgins in this case were part)to honor him and the bride with an enthusiastic welcome.

25:3For the foolish, when they took their lamps, took no oil with them1:

For the foolish, when they took their lamps, took no oil with them. The foolish showed their folly in failing to provide for their lord's"delay". The oil in their lamps would only burn till about midnight.

Now while the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. Rather, "nodded and slept". They did not lie down to regular slumber,but took such innocent rest as their office permitted. Others were onthe lookout and would give the warning; so these were permitted tosleep, but only in such a posture that they would be ready to arise andgo at once when apprised of their lord's approach.

Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. The signal- call roused all ten, and each group of five prepared by trimming thelamps.

25:8 And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are going out1.

Give us of your oil; for our lamps are going out. But then became apparent the difference between them. All had made some preparation,but that of the foolish five had been insufficient. Their glory beganto depart, and their light waned into darkness at the approach of thebridegroom.

25:9 But the wise answered, saying, Peradventure there will not be enough for us and you1: go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves2.

Peradventure there will not be enough for us and you. There will be no borrowed righteousness on the day of the Lord's coming, for no onewill have any to spare. The Roman Catholic confidence in saints, andthe trust of some Protestants in pious parents, are alike unavailing:each soul must see to its own lamp.

Go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. Those who had the oil to sell are merely part of the drapery of the parable, putin to bring, put in to bring out the point that it was "too late" tosecure any oil. The oil of God's grace is given without money andwithout price, but in the hour of the Lord's appearing it will be toolate to seek for it.

25:10 And while they went away to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage feast1: and the door was shut2.

They that were ready went in with him to the marriage feast. The feast in the bridegroom's house was considered the most important partof the marriage, and certainly for those of the lord's own household,it was the only feast.

And the door was shut. To be shut out from it was to be deprived of all participation in the marriage joy. All the wisdom and shrewdnessof Universalism can never open this shut door.

25:12 But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not1.

I know you not. The verb "know" is here used, according to the Jewish idiom, for favorable knowledge. See Matthew 7:23. It signifiedthat these virgins, on account of their remissness, were no longercounted even as acquaintances, much less as part of the household.

For [it is] as [when] a man, going into another country, etc. The parable of the virgins represented watchfulness displaying itself in"waiting" for the Lord, while it is here displayed in "working" forhim. There it was inward spiritual life; here it is external activity.

This parable is much like that of the pounds ( Luke 19:11-27 ), butdiffers in several particulars. There the "same amount" was entrustedto each one, but the return was "different", and the rewards weredifferent. Here "different" amounts were entrusted, the returns werein proportion to the trust, and the rewards were the same.

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25:19Now after a long time the lord of those servants cometh1, and maketh a reckoning with them2.

Now after a long time the lord of those servants cometh. We have here one of the Lord's intimations that the day of judgment would notcome at once. The Greek word for "servants" is "douloi", which means"slaves". They were the property of the master, and he might dispose ofthem as he pleased.

And maketh a reckoning with them. The reckoning is as sure as the trust; judgment is as sure as life. A man who had entrusted a talent(from $1600 to $1800) would surely not forget to ask a settlement, norwill God fail to demand an accounting from all those to whom he hadentrusted the riches and privileges of this wonderful human life he hasgiven us, though many of us may lightly esteem them.

{NOTE.--In 1990, the silver talent would be worth about $7,200.--E.S.}

25:21 His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will set thee over many things; enter thou into the joy of thy lord1.

Enter thou into the joy of thy lord. The joy of the lord was doubtless some festival in celebration of his return, and it stands forthe joy of Christ in the Father's house.

25:23 His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will set thee over many things; enter thou into the joy of thy lord1.

Enter thou into the joy of thy lord. The second servant, having done well proportionately as the first, received the like preciouscommendation. See Matthew 25:21 .

25:30And cast ye out the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness1: there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth.

And cast ye out the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness, etc. See Matthew 8:12.

25:31 But when the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the angels with him, then shall he sit on the throne of his glory1:

Then shall he sit on the throne of his glory. Christ's judgment throne is called his throne of glory because in the day that he sitsupon it his glory will be exhibited to men more brightly than everbefore; for in the decisions of that hour his mercy, justice, andrighteousness will most fully appear, and all the obscure things in thepast administration of his government will be made clear.

25:32 and before him shall be gathered all the nations: and he shall separate them one from another1, as the shepherd separateth the sheep from the goats2;

He shall separate them one from another. Not the nations, but the individuals which compose them.

As the shepherd separateth the sheep from the goats. It was the custom for the shepherd to let the sheep and goats feed together duringthe day and to separate them at night. This custom is placed in theparable because it is analogous to the present commingling and finalseparation of men. Goats are here employed to represent the evil classof men, because goats have to be "driven" while sheep follow theshepherd.

25:33 and he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left1.

He shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. The right hand is always represented as the place of honor andpreferment. The Jews in their traditions say that when criminals weretried by the Sanhedrin those who were acquitted were placed on theright hand, and those who were condemned on the left.

25:34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom1prepared for you from the foundation of the world2:

Inherit the kingdom. Take possession of as rightful heirs.

Prepared for you from the foundation of the world. God's purpose designed such a kingdom from the beginning ( Ephesians 1:9-14 ), and we mayconceive of it as in process of preparation ever since ( John 14:2 ).

25:35for I was hungry, and ye gave me to eat1; I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink; I was a stranger, and ye took me in;

For I was hungry, and ye gave me to eat, etc. The acts here enumerated indicate more than a mere outlay of money. They are not suchare the offspring of impulse, but such as call for the sacrifice oftime, strength, sympathy, etc., and clearly demonstrate the fullness ofthe Christian life. Moreover, Jesus does not mean to teach that mereworks of benevolence are a sufficient ground for salvation. The meaningis that none can be saved "without" these fruits of faith and love. Thepassage must be construed in the light of other Scriptures which teachthe further necessity of forgiveness on the part of God and ofobedience on the part of man.

25:37Then shall the righteous answer him1, saying, Lord, when saw we thee hungry, and fed thee? or athirst, and gave thee drink?

Then shall the righteous answer him, etc. This conversation is the drapery of the narrative. Such words will not be actually spoken at thejudgment, but they are introduced for the twofold purpose ofillustrating the beautiful unconsciousness of merit and whichcharacterizes the noblest of deeds and the more important fact thatanything done for his sake is the same as done for his person( Matthew 10:42 ; Mark 9:41 ).

25:41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into the eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels1:

Depart from me, ye cursed, into the eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels. The two preparations stand in contrast.God prepared a kingdom of joy and designed that man should be with himin it. He also prepared a place for punishment for Satan and hisangels, and man can cast his lot there and share that punishment if hewill to do do.

25:45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not1 unto one of these least, ye did it not unto me.

Inasmuch as ye did it not, etc. The neglect or abuse of Christ's disciples is a direct affront to his person.

25:46 And these shall go away into eternal punishment1: but the righteous into eternal life.

These shall go away into eternal punishment, etc. This verse contains two important truths: (1) That the doom of the wicked is asdurable as the reward of the righteous. (2) That the doom of the wickedis a punishment. The word "punishment" expresses misery and sufferingpurposely inflicted.